Coat and vest holder



No. 608,633. Patented Aug. 9, |898. Y

n. w. AxENE. y coAT AND vEsT HOLDER.

UniiTnn STnTns lPaTnNT @Tretena DAVID W ILLI-IELM AXENE, OF KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI.

COAT AND VEST HOLDER..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.` 608,633, dated August9, 1898.

Application led November 20, 1897. Serial No. 659.260. (No model.)`

.sections made of suitable flexible material which will normally lieflat and may be folded together to occupy but little space when not inuse and which will be so shaped that when certain parts of the severalsections are secured together the device will assume a shapecorresponding substantially to the shape of the upper portion of a humanbody, and thus form a support for holding the garments in practicallythe same shape the garments vassume when being worn.

With this object in view the invention consists of the several detailsof construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the hanger inposition foruse. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same when opened out,looking at the outer face thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2,looking at the inner face. Fig. e is a perspective view of the hanger inits folded form. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of thefastening devices.

Similar referencenumerals indicate'similar parts in the several figures.

The device is formed of two back sections (indicated by l) and two frontsections, (indicated by 2,) and these sections are shaped substantiallylike the front and back sections of a high-cut vest before beingstitched together. The sections will preferably be made of cardboard,although I do not intend to limit my inventionto the use of suchmaterial, as other iiexible materials may be used with equally goodresults. The abutting edges of the back sections and the abutting edgesof the respective front and back sections are hinged together by stripsof textilefabric 3, which are secured to the outer faces of therespective sections by a suitable adhesive, and on the inner faces ofsaid sections, opposite each joint,a strip of cardboarde is secured atone edge to one of the sections and extends across the joint to looselyengage the other section, for a purpose to be referred to hereinafter.The hinge connecting the two back sections to each other extends onlyabout half their length, and above the hinge the edges incline away fromeach other to form a gore 5 in order that when the edges are securedtogether a curve will be formed correspondn ing substantially with thatat the junction of the neck and back of a person. The edges of therespective sections which when united together form the shoulder-seams,the free vertical edges of the two front sections, and also the opposingedges of the back sections above the hinge are all reinforced by havingstrips of textile material (indicated by 6) secured to the respectivesections bya suitable adhesive. The said textile material willpreferably be folded over the edges and be se# cured to both faces ofthe cardboard, although in some cases it may be sufficient to secure astrip of such material to one face only of the cardboard. The shoulderedge of each back section is provided with a series of hooks 7,preferably three, although there may be more or less, if preferred, andthe free vertical edge of one of the front sections is provided with aseries of similar hooks, and a single hook is secured to one of the`edges of the gore 5 near its upper'end. These hooks are made alike andconsist of a strip of metal bent to form a hook 8 at one end, which isen gaged in a slot in the cardboard and clamped against opposite facesof the cardboard to sen curely hold the hook in position. The strip isthen bent downwardly at a right angle in front of the edge of thecardboard to form a locking-shoulder 9 and then again bent at a rightangle toforin a brace l0. The other edge of the gore 5 is provided witha slot ll to receive the hook 7, secured in the opposing edge, and thevertical free edge of the other front section is provided with a seriesof siinilar slots 11 to receive the hooks onl the opposing edge. Theshoulder edge of each front section is also provided with a series ofslots indicated by 11 and with another series of similar slots indicatedby 1l, arranged below the series marked ll. This arrangement of slotspermits the shoulder-seam to be varied to IOO make a square, sloping, ormedium shoulder, the slots ll being for the latter, while one of the endslots l1 and two of the slots ll will be used for the sloping or squareshoulder, respectively, the respective slots being connected by dottedlines and marked Square and Sloping A loop l2 is secured to one of theback sections and a similar loop to one of the front sections adjacentto the back and front joints, respectively, and these loops serve tosuspend the hanger from a hook or other projection. Assuming the deviceto be in the folded position indicated in Fig. 1l, it will first beopened out to the position shown in Fig. 2, after which it will beturnedover and the hooks in the free edge of the front section caused toengage in the slots in the free edge of the other front section. Theshoulder edges will next be hooked together, after which the two edgesof the gore will be secured together by the engagement of the hook andslot, and the device will then be in the position indicated in Fig. l,and a coat and vest can be hung 'upon it and will assume the saine shapeas when being worn.

When the several edges are secured together by the engagement of thehooks in the slots, the cardboard strips which are secured upon theinner face of the several sections opposite to the hinges will tend toprevent sharp angles being formed by the edges of the respectivesections which are hinged together. l/Vhen the hooks 7 are inserted intheir respective slots, the locking-shoulders 9 will engage one side ofthe slot and the brace l0 will engage thel inner face of the slottedsection and prevent the hooks from being pulled out from the slot unlessthe two sections are turned at an angle to each other, as will bereadily understood. rlhis form of hook makes, therefore, a very securelocking device, but one which can be very easily disengaged whennecessary.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have produced anexceedingly simple and etlicient coat and vest hanger which will keepthe garments in proper shape when not being worn and which hanger can bequickly folded up and when so folded will occupy but very little spaceand can therefore be conveniently stored away in a trunk or satchel orother convenient place.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and theminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isl. A hanger forcoats and vests, comprising two front sections, and two back sections,said sections bein shaped substantially like the front and back sectionsof a vest, the two back` sections beingA hinged together and to thefront sections, whereby the sections are adapted to fold upon oneanother, and fastening devices for connecting the free edges of thefront sections and for connecting the adjacent upper edges of the frontand rear sections to hold the sections in operative position,substantially as described.

. 2. Ahanger for coats and vests, comprising two front and two backsections shaped like the fronth and back sections of a vest, and hingedtogether at the sides and back of the hanger, whereby the sections areadapted to fold upon one another, the upper edges of the front sectionsand the free edge of one of the front sections being provided withslots, and hooks mounted on the free edge of the other front section andon the upper edges of the back sections for engaging the slots to holdthe sections in operative position, substan` tially as described.

3. A foldable hanger for coats and vests, comprising two front and twoback sections of exible material, shaped substantially like the frontand back sections of a vest, the two comprising two back and two frontsections of iieXible material shaped substantially like the front andback sections of a vest, the two back sections being hinged together andto the front sections by strips of textile fabric, and-a strip ofliexible material being secured at one edge to one sectionat eachhinge-joint and extending across said joint to loosely engage the othersection, and the free vertical Aedges of the front sections and theshoulder edges of adjacent front and back sections being respectivelyreinforced by strips of textile fabric and provided with devices todetachably lock them together, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asl my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID WILLHELM AXENE.

Vitnesses:

J. M. SACKETT, FRED O. LONG,

IOC

